I don't have a lot of friends.
I have a lot of acquaintances, but real friends are pretty hard to come by. I have parted ways from a lot of my friends in the last year or so. A lot of it comes from a difference in maturity level I think. That's not to say that those girls are immature... it's kind of hard to explain... it's like they haven't had to deal with real hardship as I have, as my family has. Because of that, I feel like we've grown apart. Because our worlds are so different.
Friendship can come in a lot of different forms:
There are those people that have always been in your life, who you've passed through every awkward stage of life with. Those people who have tested your patience and your limits. Those people who have moved states away and you go months, years, without seeing them, but nothing between you changes.
That's Amy.
Amy is a friend I've known my entire life. We met in the womb, my mom started babysitting her when we were both one year old, and we went to the same schools kindergarten through senior year. I'm sure she's reading this now, wondering why I'm mentioning her. I wouldn't say we are the classic definition of "best friends," but she is someone I cherish deeply.We went from being inseparable, to rarely hanging out, to friends living hundreds of miles apart. I think being close with someone for 25 years is the very essence of friendship. This is someone who I won't see for several months, and during that span we still don't talk too much, even via Facebook. But when we do see each other, it's like nothing has changed. Just two good friends catching up over cheesecake on our annual mommy/daughter day.
Then there are those people who come in your life and help change your view on the world. Those people who know there's something wrong in your life before you do. Those people who want nothing more than to help you in any way that they can.
That's Ruth.
Ruth is my non-biological "mawmaw." She's my Ruthie: A 61 year old Puerto Rican woman from Jersey. That's an interesting combination. This woman is a hot mess, but I love her dearly. We met at work only about 2 years ago, but it feels like she knows me better than a lot of other people who I've known years and years. Ruth knows when something is wrong with someone without them having to say anything. She is rare in the fact that she doesn't ask what's wrong. She doesn't pry. She just wants to make you happy. No matter what.
And lastly, there are those people that will always be there to help you through the darkness. Those people who surprise you with their unwavering support and unconditional kindness. Those people who would give you the world just to see a smile on your face and never expect anything in return.
That's Alison.
Alison grew up with my sister. I'm not sure that they were ever really close, but they were friends. I am 7 years younger than my sister, so quite honestly I didn't really remember Alison. I knew the name, but I didn't know the person to go with the name. But that changed in 2011. When all the bad things started happening to my family, a few friends proved themselves. I don't want those girls, Jenna, Mandi, and Lindsay, to think that they weren't as important to us, but Alison barely knew us, yet she was there for us in every way possible. She was one of the major support systems, even if it was just a friendly chat on Facebook. Alison is one of the few people who have shown me that there are genuinely good people in the world. I don't think she realizes that.
This post was a little more sentimental than I'll usually be. But, it was important to me that these 3 people know how important they are to me... even if I don't always tell them.
Friendship can come in a lot of different forms:
There are those people that have always been in your life, who you've passed through every awkward stage of life with. Those people who have tested your patience and your limits. Those people who have moved states away and you go months, years, without seeing them, but nothing between you changes.
That's Amy.
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| With Amy, Halloween 1990 (?) |
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| With Amy, December 2011 |
Then there are those people who come in your life and help change your view on the world. Those people who know there's something wrong in your life before you do. Those people who want nothing more than to help you in any way that they can.
 |
| With Ruthie, December 2011 |
That's Ruth.
Ruth is my non-biological "mawmaw." She's my Ruthie: A 61 year old Puerto Rican woman from Jersey. That's an interesting combination. This woman is a hot mess, but I love her dearly. We met at work only about 2 years ago, but it feels like she knows me better than a lot of other people who I've known years and years. Ruth knows when something is wrong with someone without them having to say anything. She is rare in the fact that she doesn't ask what's wrong. She doesn't pry. She just wants to make you happy. No matter what.
And lastly, there are those people that will always be there to help you through the darkness. Those people who surprise you with their unwavering support and unconditional kindness. Those people who would give you the world just to see a smile on your face and never expect anything in return.
 |
| Alison and my sister Kelly November 2011 |
Alison grew up with my sister. I'm not sure that they were ever really close, but they were friends. I am 7 years younger than my sister, so quite honestly I didn't really remember Alison. I knew the name, but I didn't know the person to go with the name. But that changed in 2011. When all the bad things started happening to my family, a few friends proved themselves. I don't want those girls, Jenna, Mandi, and Lindsay, to think that they weren't as important to us, but Alison barely knew us, yet she was there for us in every way possible. She was one of the major support systems, even if it was just a friendly chat on Facebook. Alison is one of the few people who have shown me that there are genuinely good people in the world. I don't think she realizes that.
This post was a little more sentimental than I'll usually be. But, it was important to me that these 3 people know how important they are to me... even if I don't always tell them.
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